By Stirling Hall
Up until recently, protests in NSW have been characterised by an approvals process providing protesters with considerable legal protections. The Minns Government’s removal of legal protections for protesters earlier this year may have changed all that, according to protesters.
“Kettling” is a practice used internationally by law enforcement agencies to corral and compress protesters into a small area where they are left to “boil”. This creates opportunities for aggression, trampling and arrests as police push the crowd into a smaller space. A small exit is set up to “let out steam” and control crowd numbers.
Protester James Ricketson, who was arrested by police at the Herzog rally in February and later released and cleared, claimed that police actions reflected a plan “to generate a violent retaliatory response” through kettling.
NSW Police Commissioner, Mal Lanyon has rejected any change in police tactics.
“Whilst the protest was peaceful at Town Hall, police stood back and enabled that to take place,” said Lanyon. “It was not until the protesters chose to march on police that police had to take any action.”
However, according to marshals present at February’s protest, police action appeared to involve pushing protesters on to the light rail tracks where they could be said to be interfering with the general public’s use of transport. Arrests took place on the light rail track area, a space that protesters had deliberately avoided until forced by police.
One marshal said: “Protesters on the light rail tracks were crushed together by advancing police for several minutes before they let a number of protesters out on to George St. Some then continued to march towards Central without police harassment in an entirely peaceful demonstration.”
Ricketson, 76, said: “The demonstration was pretty much over when the police, backed up by eight or so fellow officers on horseback, started to aggressively push the crowd south, into an already very crowded space.
“Up until then the police had been calm and respectful of we demonstrators. Then, they changed and became violent.”
The NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has received over 40 complaints. Footage circulating on social media shows multiple police repeatedly punching unresisting and prostrate protesters in the kidneys and the head.
The LECC is investigating allegations of police misconduct in police Operation Makalu at the Sydney Town Hall Protest on February 9. They are currently asking for submissions.
Featured image: Protesters continue their peaceful march down George St without police intervention. Photo: Stirling Hall
